University Energy Institute Leaders Gather at Georgia Tech to Discuss Resilient Energy Futures
2026 University Energy Institute Leadership Collaborative Summit Attendees
Leaders from university energy institutes across the country gathered at Georgia Tech Oct. 14 – 15 for the 2026 University Energy Institute Leadership Collaborative (UEILC) Summit.
Hosted by Georgia Tech's Strategic Energy Institute (SEI), the annual summit brought together representatives from academia, industry, government, national laboratories, and nonprofits to discuss strengthening energy systems and preparing for a changing energy future. Topics focused on collaboration, workforce development, and strategies for building resilience amid the challenges in the energy sector.
Leaders from university energy institutes across the country gathered at Georgia Tech Oct. 14 – 15 for the 2026 University Energy Institute Leadership Collaborative (UEILC) Summit.
Hosted by Georgia Tech's Strategic Energy Institute (SEI), the annual summit brought together representatives from academia, industry, government, national laboratories, and nonprofits to discuss strengthening energy systems and preparing for a changing energy future. Topics focused on collaboration, workforce development, and strategies for building resilience amid the challenges in the energy sector.
"Energy resilience requires more than technological innovation. It depends on strong partnerships across universities, industry, government, and national laboratories," said SEI Executive Director Yuanzhi Tang, who delivered the summit’s opening remarks. "The UEILC Summit serves as an important forum to exchange ideas, identify shared challenges, and build collaborations among energy institutes across the country. These efforts are essential to strengthening energy systems and preparing the workforce that will support them."
Following Tang, Tim Lieuwen, Georgia Tech's interim president and executive vice president for Research, delivered a keynote address on academia's role in advancing a resilient energy future. Lieuwen emphasized the unique role of universities as trusted conveners and honest brokers, bringing together stakeholders with diverse perspectives to navigate an evolving energy ecosystem.
A fireside chat featuring Mike Caravaggio of EPRI, Stephanie Gossman of Georgia Power, and Tang explored how artificial intelligence, data center expansion, and rising electricity demand are reshaping the energy landscape. The speakers also discussed how their organizations are working to strengthen grid reliability, expand infrastructure, and support a reliable energy future.
Founded with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to strengthen collaboration among university energy institutes, the University Energy Institute Leadership Collaborative provides a forum for advancing energy research, education, and engagement.
“A systems approach to today’s energy challenges — where academia, industry, and government collaborate to provide many perspectives on a problem — can only happen if there is a venue and a community where these discussions can safely take place,” says Daniel Tkacik, executive director of Carnegie Mellon’s Scott Institute for Energy Innovation as well as the principal investigator of the Sloan Foundation grant that supports the UEILC. “This summit continues to provide that valuable venue for collaboration, and we are grateful to our generous hosts at Georgia Tech.”
The summit theme, Expanding Collaborations for Resilient Energy Futures, framed discussions on regional energy resilience, grid vulnerabilities, geopolitical influences on energy planning, the growth of data centers, and workforce education.
"The UEILC annual summit provides an excellent opportunity for energy institute leaders from across the nation to come together and share perspectives, strengthen partnerships, and advance solutions that can help shape more resilient energy futures," said Christine Conwell, director of planning and operations at SEI. "The conversations over the course of the summit reinforced the importance of cross-sector partnerships in creating new opportunities for innovation."
Conversations and networking opportunities provided a broader understanding of how different regions are strengthening energy resilience, addressing emerging threats to power infrastructure, adapting to geopolitical and economic shifts, and preparing for increased electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence and data centers.
"It was exciting to see so many diverse perspectives united by a common goal of building more resilient energy systems," said Jordann Britt, SEI program manager and a UEILC Bridge-Builder Fellow.
Britt helped organize the summit as part of the UEILC Bridge-Builder Fellows Program, which supports emerging leaders in the university energy community.
Additional Images
<p>University Energy Institute Leadership Collaborative's Bridge-Builder Fellows at the 2026 Annual Summit</p>
<p>Jordann Britt, Program Manager at the Strategic Energy Institute participates in a discussion panel featuring Bridge-Builder Fellows at the 2026 UEILC Annual Summit</p>